Greensand marathon 2014 race report

I had counted the runners who had gone past me and I was in 7th place at the half-way turn. All was going well and I started to hope for a top 10 finish. I pushed hard and started putting distance between the 8th and 9th duo behind me. It couldn't have been going any better.

Oh, Tits!

And then, well, then it all went tits up. The image below and to the right shows an additional 270 foot vertical 'detour' (down and then back up) I took because of an errant ticker tape marker which had come of a tree. By the time I got to the bottom of the hill and realised my mistake, and then sprinted (which was doubly stupid) back to the top, I had to be placed in the 20s at least. I saw people I had passed a long while back and whilst not upset or angry, I was a little gutted.

Dashed were my hopes of a strong placing and feeling the pain from the uphill effort, I settled into the idea of damage control and to just get the job done.

I still felt great at this point, and was bounding along taking 'scalps' along the way, but the niggling pain in my groin muscle coupled with the burning in my un-trained legs (yup, again no training. I'll learn one day) slowed me down a short while before Leith Hill.

The offending hill

It was around this point that I met a lovely bubbly lady, whom I sadly didn't catch the name of, but we got chatting and she became a good companion for a few miles (I now know that this was Nina Campbell, 2nd lady). She was really strong and stayed positive the entire time. My legs however were getting worse and I saw her disappear out of view as I answered natures text. I was then met by another lady (Julia Donovan, 3rd lady) who was going at a similar pace and using her as a 'running bunny*' I tagged along for a while. And on a side note, I could only wish to have calves like hers, sculpted would be the best description! Anyway, things were going well, but the pain was intensifying and every few miles meant a short stop to stretch out the legs. I lost the bunny to her dust at the final checkpoint and met a chap and both jogged it home chatting about the hardships of the day and other silly hilly events, like the Picnic and the Midsummer Munro (both by Trionium events).

By the finish, I'd forgotten about the top 10 hope and accepted my fate. It was only a hope after all. Though, running with others and enjoying the chatting was just as good a highlight as a top spot would have been.

Me with Nina, 2nd lady
coming up to Leith Hill

The course

I was expecting deep puddles like last year, but nothing of significant depth was found. There were a few boggy parts along the route, but I only actually had trouble running on the road with my trail orientated Brooks Cascadias, where I kept slipping running up a hill. Regular trainers would have done just as well across the course.

Leith Hill is probably one of the highlights, but you never have time to stop and enjoy the view. It's the same with all of the other view points. I really should invest in a camera that I can snap in a few seconds and then carry on running. But anyway, at Leith Hill and other places it's great to see a lot of people out and around there cheering you on.

I was surprised by the number of mountain bikers out and about. There were hundreds of the buggers. As a fellow biker myself, I'll certainly have to consider coming back for the trails.

Oh, and the 'worst' part of the course is the last hill at the end. The one with the steps. Last year I ran from the bottom to the top with no problem, but this year I started my ran up and did two steps on the stairs before my calf spasmed and put an end to all that bravado.

Home for tea, medals and a carrot

Firmly put in my place, I jogged the final sections and came home with, and I didn't get their name either, the chap I'd be chatting with for the past few miles.

Would I do it again?

Yes, It's a great event. The camaraderie, the organisation and the challenging trail all add up to a good value fun event. It'll definitely be on my list for next year. This was actually my second Greensand marathon the other being last years rain soaked character building slog.

Greensand marathon

Thanks to Rob and the marshals

Yet again, another great event put on by Rob. The team did a great job and the marshals and helpers all along the route were cheery and encouraging - A big thank you! Also, thanks also for the great medal at the end, the t-shirt, cap, and of course, the carrot!

Garmin data for the nerds.

*Running bunny. A person who is running at the pace you want to run at and requires you to merely follow / keep-up.

Photo credits to Susannah Sutton and Laureda Tirepied.